Prices for domestically grown rice have been gradually falling, with some 5kg bags now going for just over ¥2,000. On 5ch, users express surprise at how fast prices have dropped, reigniting complaints about JA (the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives) and farmers from when prices spiked, along with debates over what counts as a “fair price.” Opinions are divided over the price gap with other countries and accusations of price-gouging resellers.
Way too fast lol
Why is it that the people saying "I won't forgive rice price hikes" go dead silent about the rising cost of seedlings, farm equipment, and pesticides?
Re: #6
People are complaining because prices suddenly jumped 2-3x by exploiting panic-buying after a natural disaster. Are you dense?
People are complaining because prices suddenly jumped 2-3x by exploiting panic-buying after a natural disaster. Are you dense?
Re: #6
If all of those had tripled too, I could accept rice tripling as well, but even at their worst those only went up about 1.5x. So shouldn't rice have gone up by roughly that much too? Why did rice that used to be ¥1,500 jump past ¥5,000?
If all of those had tripled too, I could accept rice tripling as well, but even at their worst those only went up about 1.5x. So shouldn't rice have gone up by roughly that much too? Why did rice that used to be ¥1,500 jump past ¥5,000?
Re: #6
I wouldn't complain about a roughly 3% annual increase. It's just that a +50% year-over-year jump is way too greedy — drop dead, basically.
I wouldn't complain about a roughly 3% annual increase. It's just that a +50% year-over-year jump is way too greedy — drop dead, basically.
Some people seem to have forgotten what rice used to cost, so let me post this reminder:
10kg: ¥2,690
5kg: ¥1,345
That's the fair price. Anything above that is a rip-off.
10kg: ¥2,690
5kg: ¥1,345
That's the fair price. Anything above that is a rip-off.
Re: #11
Then just never eat it again. Ever.
Then just never eat it again. Ever.
World rice prices per 5kg:
🇯🇵 Japan: ¥4,000
🇺🇸 USA: ¥1,600
🇰🇷 South Korea: ¥1,500
🇦🇺 Australia: ¥1,100
🇪🇺 Europe: ¥900
🇹🇭 Thailand: ¥900
🇨🇳 China: ¥700
🇻🇳 Vietnam: ¥500
When sold in Japan, the price gets "corrected" to match this ↓
🇯🇵 Japan: ¥4,000
🇺🇸 USA: ¥1,600
🇰🇷 South Korea: ¥1,500
🇦🇺 Australia: ¥1,100
🇪🇺 Europe: ¥900
🇹🇭 Thailand: ¥900
🇨🇳 China: ¥700
🇻🇳 Vietnam: ¥500
When sold in Japan, the price gets "corrected" to match this ↓
"¥1,359 for 5kg of rice is the fair price. JA is selling it to the public at three times that just to line its own pockets."
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/583afc1c4cba913c9bf8a520dc50dd7bff3bee34
Prices really should have come back down to around ¥1,300-something per 5kg. Households are already struggling with inflation, yet JA and the Ministry of Agriculture committed the grave sin of forcing consumers to buy rice at all-time-high prices.
JA, which wields huge influence over how rice prices are set, has reportedly been driving prices up by inflating stockpiles — isn't this a violation of antitrust law?
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/583afc1c4cba913c9bf8a520dc50dd7bff3bee34
Prices really should have come back down to around ¥1,300-something per 5kg. Households are already struggling with inflation, yet JA and the Ministry of Agriculture committed the grave sin of forcing consumers to buy rice at all-time-high prices.
JA, which wields huge influence over how rice prices are set, has reportedly been driving prices up by inflating stockpiles — isn't this a violation of antitrust law?
Re: #27
Some people seem confused, but JA mostly sells only to wholesalers/businesses — it isn't really dealing with the general public to begin with. The only JA product aimed at regular consumers is Pearl Rice. It's the rice trading companies that actually sell to the public.
Some people seem confused, but JA mostly sells only to wholesalers/businesses — it isn't really dealing with the general public to begin with. The only JA product aimed at regular consumers is Pearl Rice. It's the rice trading companies that actually sell to the public.
Re: #27
The futures market's been busy manipulating prices one minute and playing fair the next.
The futures market's been busy manipulating prices one minute and playing fair the next.
Wheat, the Western staple, runs about ¥150-300 at local prices. Japan's staple wheat runs ¥400-900. Even accounting for wage levels, that's abnormally expensive.
Re: #53
You meant "rice," not "wheat," for Japan's staple food.
You meant "rice," not "wheat," for Japan's staple food.
Re: #53
Japan's a high-cost country no matter what you do, so selling off its own labor is about all that's left.
Japan's a high-cost country no matter what you do, so selling off its own labor is about all that's left.
Re: #53
Probably the difference in subsidies.
Probably the difference in subsidies.
Rice prices have basically been falling for 30 years straight — this is just a temporary bounce-back.
Fertilizer, fuel, and labor costs all keep rising, so of course farmers can't keep up otherwise.
Fertilizer, fuel, and labor costs all keep rising, so of course farmers can't keep up otherwise.
Re: #78
If they'd said "fertilizer costs went up, fuel costs went up, please let us raise prices this much," the way Akagi Nyugyo (a confectionery maker famous for its price-hike apology ad) did, consumers would have understood and kept buying. But instead prices suddenly tripled and they ran newspaper ads insisting THIS is the fair price — that's what turned everyone against them overnight. People say the farmers aren't at fault, but if they're backing JA's tactics, they can't complain about getting lumped in with them.
If they'd said "fertilizer costs went up, fuel costs went up, please let us raise prices this much," the way Akagi Nyugyo (a confectionery maker famous for its price-hike apology ad) did, consumers would have understood and kept buying. But instead prices suddenly tripled and they ran newspaper ads insisting THIS is the fair price — that's what turned everyone against them overnight. People say the farmers aren't at fault, but if they're backing JA's tactics, they can't complain about getting lumped in with them.
Re: #102
Turns out that Akagi Nyugyo was actually running a full-on cartel… What was all that online praise for Akagi Nyugyo even about?
Turns out that Akagi Nyugyo was actually running a full-on cartel… What was all that online praise for Akagi Nyugyo even about?
Re: #102
Farmers aren't backing JA by choice — they have no option but to do as JA says. That was national policy. Farmers only get paid the fixed provisional price JA sets.
Farmers aren't backing JA by choice — they have no option but to do as JA says. That was national policy. Farmers only get paid the fixed provisional price JA sets.
Rice prices have dropped a lot, so why haven't bento boxes, onigiri, restaurant meals, or conveyor-belt sushi gotten any cheaper?
Re: #101
Because it's an opportunistic price hike riding on rice's coattails.
Because it's an opportunistic price hike riding on rice's coattails.
Re: #101
Kind of like how prices didn't come down even when gasoline dropped sharply.
Kind of like how prices didn't come down even when gasoline dropped sharply.
Re: #101
That's a well-known phenomenon in economics — once a price gets raised due to higher input costs, it almost never comes back down even after input costs fall.
Normally you could spin that positively as "that's how wages eventually rise," but Japanese companies just hoard the extra profit, so who knows.
That's a well-known phenomenon in economics — once a price gets raised due to higher input costs, it almost never comes back down even after input costs fall.
Normally you could spin that positively as "that's how wages eventually rise," but Japanese companies just hoard the extra profit, so who knows.
Is this whole "rice farmers aren't allowed to turn a profit" mentality coming from people looking down on rice farmers?
Re: #109
It's you who's looking down on people — assuming consumers are dumb enough to keep buying even at triple the price. Buying and selling only works on trust between buyer and seller.
It's you who's looking down on people — assuming consumers are dumb enough to keep buying even at triple the price. Buying and selling only works on trust between buyer and seller.
Re: #109
The moment you're driving a ¥10 million combine harvester or tractor, you're already in a different league than us poor folks.
The moment you're driving a ¥10 million combine harvester or tractor, you're already in a different league than us poor folks.
Re: #109
All we're saying is: "farmers, go back to being slaves like before."
We're not asking for tax money to be poured in or for income support for agriculture, not even a little.
We're just saying farmers should go back to working like slaves who don't care about profitability. It's not a complicated request.
All we're saying is: "farmers, go back to being slaves like before."
We're not asking for tax money to be poured in or for income support for agriculture, not even a little.
We're just saying farmers should go back to working like slaves who don't care about profitability. It's not a complicated request.
The price near me last week:
Re: #119
Kyushu switches over fast, nice.
Kyushu switches over fast, nice.
We've reached the point where new-crop rice is actually cheaper than old.
Re: #137
Is this one any good? I've seen it before.
Is this one any good? I've seen it before.
Re: #137
Whoa, Fukui rice, impressive. Obviously buying the new crop.
See, wholesalers have to cut their losses and sell or they're in trouble.
Whoa, Fukui rice, impressive. Obviously buying the new crop.
See, wholesalers have to cut their losses and sell or they're in trouble.
Must be nice going through life just blaming everything on Chinese people.
Re: #156
People really do forget fast, huh.
https://diamond.jp/articles/-/360463
People really do forget fast, huh.
https://diamond.jp/articles/-/360463
Re: #161
Seriously, these scummy resellers are the worst.
Seriously, these scummy resellers are the worst.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from a 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo/”Everything Live” board) thread titled “Domestic rice is finally dropping to around ¥2,000 for 5kg wwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”
